Fruit pitting machine with quickchange main cam



Dec. 17, 195.7 I w. H. KAGLEY ETAL 2,816,587

FRUIT. FITTING MACHINE WITH QUICK-CHANGE NAIN CAN Filed Oct. 17, 1955 2 Sheets Sheet 1 Dec. 17, 1957 w. H. KAGLEY Er AL 2,816,587

FRUIT FITTING MACHINE WITH QUICK-CHANGE MAIN CAN Filed Oct. 1f?, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l 5 u LI /lnl //.Iflvl//l-lI g 2,816,587 FRUIT PITTING MACHINE WITH QUICK- CHANGE MAIN CAM William Herbert Kagley, Lindsay, and Bentley J. Milam, Strathmore, Calif., assignors to Lindsay Ripe Olive Company, Lindsay, Calif., a corporation of California Application October 17, 1955, Serial No. 540,745 6 Claims. (Cl. 146-27) The present invention relates to a machine for pitting fruit, such as olives, and in particular to improvements over certain features of the invention described and claimed in United States patent of Edward P. Drake, Fred J. Alberty, and William H. Kagley, No. 2,341,857, granted February 15, 1944, for Fruit Pitting Machine.

In removing pits from olives by a machine of that type, the olives are individually, firmly grasped in a predeter- `mined, aligned position while a punch enters from one end of the olive and is forced longitudinally therethrough. During this operation, the olive is forced against a die by the punch. The olive pit is pushed out through the end of the olive by the punch into a bore in the die.

In the machine referred to above, the punches and dies are mounted circumferentially on each of two drums in alternating spaced relationship. The drums, in turn, are mounted in axially spaced relationship on a rotatably mounted shaft so that punches and dies are opposed to each other. The drums are keyed to the shaft which is journaled in a cam bearing mount. A cam barrel is tixedly mounted to the frame inside cach drum in concentric relationship therewith.

This arrangement necessitates substantially complete disassembly of the fruit pitting machine when it is desired to remove and replace either of the cam barrels. Occasional repair and replacement of the cam barrels is necessary and it is desirable that the machine be designed for speedy and convenient removal and replacement of the cam barrels without dismantling other parts of the machine.

Accordingly, an important object of the invention is to provide in a machine of this general character, cam barrels designed for etcient and rapid removal and installation with a minimum of disturbance of other parts of the machine.

Another object is to provide in such a machine cam barrel mounting means and a cam barrel construction which will facilitate the removal and replacement of cam barrels with a minimum disassembly of other portions of the machine.

A further object is to provide a fixed shaft and split cam barrels firmly mounted on the fixed shaft having the characteristic feature of permitting rapid and efficient removal of the split portions of the cam barrels with a minimum disassembly of other parts of the machine.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the further description in the specification and the illustration in the drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the fruit pitting machine showing the stationary mounting of the main shaft and the fixed mounting of thesplit on the main shaft;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing one of the split cam barrels assembled and keyed on the main shaft;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3--3` of Figure 1 showing the main shaft keyed and clamped ixedly on the frame of the machine;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 partly broken away to show the positioning and stationary mounting of one of the cam barrels on the main shaft;

cam barrels nitd States @Patent O l" f@ l C@ Figure 5 is an enlarged detailed view in cross-section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1 showing a cam barrel positioning plate mounted on the main shaft; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged diagrammatic, partial crosssectional view showing the method of disassembly and removal of split portions of the cam barrels.

in Figure 1 punches 10 and dies 11 are shown mounted opposite each other on axially spaced drums 12. At their inner ends 13, the drums are rigidly interconnected in axially spaced relationship with respect to each other by a central connecting member 14 and cap screws 16.

The interconnected drums 12 are rotatably mounted on a fixed shaft 17 at drum hubs 18 connected to, or integral with, the drum ends 13. Spacers 19 are fastened to shaft 17 by set screws 21 and axially position the drums 12 during rotation thereof on the shaft.

The drums 12 are rotated by a motor 22 acting through a shaft 23 and a pinion 24. The latter is meshed with a gear 26 keyed to a shaft 27. On the inner end of the shaft 27 is keyed a small gear 28 which meshes with a circumferential gear 29 fastened to a circumferential iange 31 by cap screws 32. The iiange 31 in turn is fastened to, or is integral with, one of the drums 12.

Olive feeding chute means and olive spacer means are indicated at 33 and 34, respectively, and olive gripping elements are indicated at 36.

Mounted concentrically inside each drum 12 is a cam barrel 40. Each of cam barrels 4i) is diametrically split into half portions or sections 41 and 42. The half portions are fastened together and fixedly mounted on shaft 17 by recessed drive cap screws 43. The screws 43 pass through split hub portions 45 and 46 and are threadedly engaged in tapped holes in hub portion 46.

The hub portions 45 and 46 are connected to spokes 47, and web members 4S and 49, respectively. The hub portions and the web members are recessed at 51 to impart improved gripping action to the hub portions on shaft 17 when cap screws 43 are drawn tight. Recessed drive caps screws 50 are used to fasten the web members together. The cam barrel portions 41 and 42, including a hub portion (45 or 46), a web portion (48 or 49), and a spoke 47 preferably are formed or cast as integral cam barrel half-portions.

The cam barrels are properly positioned radially on the shaft 17 by a key and keyway 52 positioned between the hub portion 46 and the shaft. Cam barrel spacer plate 53 is fastened to shaft 17 by a tap bolt 54 tightly screwed in a tapped hole 56 to assure the proper spacing between a cap 57 and hub positions 45 and 46. This, in turn, assures the proper positioning of the cam barrels and cams relative to the punches 10 and the dies 11. Cap 57 and a key and keyway 58 are used to fixedly mount shaft 17 on the frame 59 of the machine.

It is to be noted that in the instant machine the drums 12 rotate around shaft 17 and shaft 17 remains fixed in frame 59. The cam barrels 40 are iixedly mounted on shaft 17 and the drums 12 therefor rotate around the cam barrels. During this rotary movement of the drums, cam followers 61 and 62 of the punches 1d and dies 11, respectively, are cyclically advanced and retracted by punch cam raceways 63 and die cam raceways 64, respectively, formed in the outer surface of the cam barrels.

When it is desired to remove or replace a cam barrel 40, punches 10 and dies 11 are removed from the corresponding drums 12 so that cam followers 61 and 62 of the punches and dies are withdrawn from cam raceways 63 and 64, respectively. Then the corresponding cap 57 is removed, as indicated diagrammatically in Figure 6 by removing tap bolts 66. Next, the cam barrel positioning plate 53 is removed by unscrewing tap bolt 54. The two cam barrel halves 41 and 42 are separated by removing the cap screws 43 from hub segments 45 .along shaft 17 through the described above.

and 46 and the cap screws S0 from the web members 48 and 49. This causes the lower cam barrel half 42 to rest freely on the lower inside surface of drum 12. The key ofthe Vkey andlkeyway?. talsosis free rand is removed from the key-way to completely-free cam barrel half 42.

Upper cam barrel half 41 is then slipped outwardly exposed open end of the drum 12in the direction of the Aarrovv-in Figure 6. The lower cam barrel half 42 is then turned manually from its lower position to an upper position previously occupied by cam barrelhalf 41, and is similarly removed through the end of the drum-12.

A new, or repaired, cam barrel is installed in the drum 12, a half portion ata time, by reversing7 the procedure This is done by sliding a cam barrel half 42 into the upper part of the drum 12 and turning .manually around shaft 17 until it is positioned at rest in the lower half of the drum. The key of key and kcyway 52 is inserted with a cam follower 67 in a cam raceway 68. The complementary half 41 of the cam barrel is then similarly slid into the upper part of the drum 12 with a cam follower 67 in a cam raceway e68. Cam barrel positioning plate 53 is fastened to the main shaft 17 by tap bolt 54. The outer ends of the hub portions 45 and 46 of the two inserted cam barrel halves 41 and 42 are then abutted against the inner end of the positioning plate 53 and securely fastened together on shaft 17 by tightening cap screws 43 passing into hub segments 45 and 46, and cap screws 50 passing through web members 4S and 49. Finally, cap 57 is fastened over the end of the main shaft 17, as indicated. The replacement operation is completed by installing the punches and dies 11 on the drums 12 so that cam followers 61 and 62 are again inserted in cam raceways 63 and 64, respectively.

It will be observed that the removal and replacement of the cam barrels is accomplished rapidly and efficiently without disassembly or removal of the drums. This is accomplished in the embodiment described above by fixing the position of the main shaft and diametrically splitting the main cam barrels, accompanied by other features shown and described. lt is understood that changes in the described embodiment will occur to one skilled in the art. Such changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What we claim as our invention is:

l. In a fruit pitting machine the combination of a frame, a shaft fixed to the frame, a cam barrel removably attached to the shaft having at least two separate peripheral raceways, a drum having one open end and rotatably mounted on the shaft concentrically surrounding the periphery of the cam barrel, a plurality of fruit receiving dies mounted around the drum, a plurality of die cam followers linking each of the dies to one of the cam barrel raceways, a plurality of pitting punches mounted around the drum, a plurality of punch cam followers linking each of the punches to another of the cam barrel raceways, the cam barrel comprising separate halves which are removable from the fruit pitting machine through the open end of the drum.

2. In a fruit pitting machine the combination of a frame, a shaft fixed to the frame, a drum having an open end and rotatably mounted on the shaft, a cam barret having two half sections which are adapted to be joined to fasten the cam barrel in fixed position on the shaft within the drum during operation of the fruit pitting machine, the half sections of the cam barrel being further adapted to be individually removed from the fruit pitting machine through the open end of the drum for disassembly, a plurality of dies and punches mounted around the drum, and aplurality of cam followers linking the dies and punches to the cam barrel whereby the dies and punches are advanced and retracted in timed relation during operation of the fruit pitting machine.

3, Apparatusin accordance with claim 2 in which the cam barrel includes a cylindrical peripheral section with raceways therein for receiving the cam followers, a split hub for engaging the shaft, webs interconnecting the hub and the peripheral section, and means for joining the two half sections of the carn barrel to fasten the earn barrel in ixed position on the shaft.

4. In a fruit pitting machine the combination of a shaft xedly mounted in the machine, a pair of die and punch carrying drum sections .rotatably mounted on the shaft apart from each other, a central joining member rigidly connecting one drum section to the other independently of the shaft, means engaging one of the drum sections for rotating both of the drum sections, a pair of cam barrels each of -which comprises two cooperating half sections which are adapted to be fastened to the shaft within a drum during operation of the fruit pitting machine, the cam barrel half sections being further adapted to be separated and individually withdrawn from the open end of a drum for disassembly, a plurality of punches and dies mounted around each of the drums, and a plurality of cam followers linking the dies and punches tothe cam barrels for advancing and retracting the punches and dies in timedrelation when the drum sections are rotated around the cam barrels.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which each of the cam barrels includes a cylindrical peripheral scction with raccways therein for receiving the cam followers, a split hub for engaging the shaft, webs interconnecting the hub and the peripheral section, spokes intermediate the webs connecting the hub to the peripheral section, and'means for joining the .two half sections of the cam barrel to fasten .the cam barrel in fixed position on the shaft.

6. In a fruit pitting machine the combination of a frame, a shaft which is supported atteach end in fixed position on said frame, a pair of caps one of which is mounted adjacent each end of the shaft for holding the shaft in fixed position on the frame, a pair of cam barrels which are axially mounted on the shaft in fixed position, each of the cam *barrels having a cylindrical periphery'which carries at least two separate cam raccways, a pair of drums each having an open end and a closed end, said drums being rotatably supported between the cam barrels back-to-back with the closed ends adjacent each other, each of the drums substantially enclosing oneof the cam barrels, a link between the pair of drums to cause thedrums to rotate together, means rotating one of the drums during operation of the fruit pitting machine. a plurality of punches-arranged around the periphery of each of the drums, a plurality of dies arranged around the periphery of eachof the drums, a plurality of punch cam followerslinking each of the punches to one of the cam barrel raceways, a plurality of die cam yfollowers linking eachof the-dies to another of the cam barrel racewayswhereby the dies and punches are advanced and retracted in timed relation as the drums rotate around the cam barrels, each of the cam barrels comprising two half sections which are adapted to be joined to fasten the cam barrels to the shaft during operation of the f-ruit pitting machine, and the caps, the cam barrels, and the drums being adapted to cooperate for disassembly so that after removing the caps, disengaging the cam followers from the raceways, and separating the half sections of the cam barrels, each of thehalf sections may be individually removed from the open end of one of the drums.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 382,994 Luce May 15, 1888 532,827 `Schulz and Kunde Jan. 22, 1895 770,501 Kottusch Sept. 20, 1904 1,924,678 Curtiss Aug. 29, 1933 2,341,857 vDrake et al. Feb. l5, 1944 

